An open and relaxed workspace environment is a widespread trend that is showing up in a variety of businesses across the nation.
A small group of entrepreneurs in Northern Kentucky have recognized this growing change in the workplace and noticed that it is leading to increased distractions among workers. To combat this issue, this group has created a simple and effective product designed to minimize distractions in the workplace and help increase employee focus.
“I like to think that productivity is similar to sleep,” said Jill Cohen, one of the co-founders of Signi. “The best sleep is achieved when we go through all the cycles and enter R.E.M. sleep. If we are interrupted at any point, we have to start the process over from the beginning.”
“Productivity is similar,” Cohen continued. “We often find ourselves getting into a flow after a while, but if that flow is interrupted then we have to recompose and start over again.”
Signi, a company working closely with Nexigen, an IT and cyber-security company located in Newport, has created a new product known as “Signi One,” which is a red desktop indicator that communicates when an individual is open to collaboration (when the indicator is down) and when he or she wishes to focus on a task at hand without interruption (when the indicator is up).
“We are seeing a variety of benefits with this open culture, such as increased morale, better customer service, stronger leadership, and more efficient teamwork,” Cohen said. “However, these benefits come with a much higher rate of distraction.”
According to market analyses, an average worker is interrupted 72 times each day and approximately 25 percent of work time is lost due to distractions, resulting in about one hour of wasted time per day for each employee. Furthermore, some studies have found that it can take up to 23 minutes for an employee to regain focus after experiencing a distraction.
Employees of Nexigen, which has embraced an open and relaxed workplace environment, were crucial to the development of the Signi One.
“It has always been an important principle of our company to respect and support our employees,” said Jon Salisbury, co-founder of Nexigen where the product was developed and tested. “We are excited to be a part of the Signi team so that we have a more efficient, productive workforce with minimal distractions.”
Nexigen is currently working with Signi to electronically incorporate data and analytics from the device, allowing employers to pinpoint when and where distractions are taking place. Salisbury and Cohen are confident that this data will prove to be invaluable in maximizing workforce potential.
“I believe this device will be a revolutionary product in the workforce,” Cohen said. “More companies will be able to reap the benefits of happier, more productive employees when they integrate Signi in their workplace environment.”
From Nexigen